Gellable silk fibroin-polyethylene sponge for hemostasis

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Traditional hemostatic agents often exhibit slow hemostasis and suboptimal biocompatibility.
• There is a need for advanced hemostatic materials with enhanced speed, efficiency, and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the hemostatic properties and underlying mechanisms of silk fibroin (SF) based materials.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a novel SF-PEG sponge as a hemostatic agent.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SF-PEG sponge via lyophilization of SF and polyethylene glycol (PEG, 1500 Da) mixture.
• Hemostasis testing using a rabbit liver trauma model, comparing SF-PEG sponge, SF sponge, and a commercial gelatin sponge.
• In vitro assessment of SF-PEG sol-gel transition's effect on platelet function and blood coagulation.

Main Results:

• SF-PEG sponge demonstrated significantly faster hemostasis (136.17 ± 62.27 s) and reduced blood loss (2.16 ± 1.27 g) compared to gelatin sponge (249.83 ± 29.18 s; 4.97 ± 1.44 g).
• In vitro studies revealed that SF-PEG sol-gel transition enhanced platelet adhesion, aggregation, and platelet-fibrinogen interaction.
• The material acts via physical blockage and potentially influences the blood coagulation cascade.

Conclusions:

• Silk fibroin (SF) presents a promising new hemostatic material with superior performance characteristics.
• The SF-PEG sponge offers rapid hemostasis, improved efficiency, and enhanced biocompatibility for diverse clinical applications.
• SF's potential impact on blood coagulation warrants further investigation for novel therapeutic strategies.